Rail-joint



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. VELLBNOW-ETH.

RAIL JOINT.

Patented Jan. 5, 1897'.

a Inventor.

Z Witnesses.

flai 4" Attorney:

(No Model.) v I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. VELLENOWETH.

RAIL JOINT; I No. 574,466. Patented Jan. 5, 189,7.

Witnesses. Inventor.

w w I MWW Attorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY VELLENOVVETH, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 574,466, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed September 30, 1896. Serial No. 607,403. (No model.)

To all whom, it may cancer-m.-

Be it known that I, HARRY VELLENOWETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a rail-joint which will effectively hold the contiguous rails in alinement and prevent their displacement longitudinally. It is further designed to substitute for the ordinary fish'- plates a brace on each side of the rail extending beneath the rail, the depending ends of the braces being bolted together, thus leaving the rail solid and avoiding the weakening of the rail which results from drilling in it holes for the reception of bolts. It is further designed to be capable of such modification that it may be applied to the strengthening of old rail-joints now in use without any alteration of the latter.

The invention consists of certain broad and detailed features of construction hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the contiguous ends of two rails held together by my improved rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 00 x of Fig. l, the crosstie being eliminated for purposes of clearness. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line y y. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the rail with the braces removed. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the locking-plate. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the contiguous ends of two rails with the braces of my rail-joint modified to permit its attachment to the old fish-plates. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a section on the line w w of Fig. 6.

A A are the rails; B B, the two ties on either side of the joint. The rails are not spiked to these ties directly, but are secured thereto through the medium of a locking-plate O, which underlies the base of the rail and is of substantially the width thereof, except at its ends,where the locking-plate is slightly wider than the rail. The widened-out ends of this plate overlie the ties B B and are recessed, as shown at 12. This plate is also provided with lugs 0. each of which is formed by cutting two lateral notches along the side and striking up 5 5- into a vertical position the free piece thus formed. The rails themselves, at points corresponding to the lugs on the plate Cv when the latter are in position, are milled out to form the insets a, into which the lugs c fit and project when the plate is in position. The plate 0 is secured to the ties B B by spikes driven through the recesses 19. The engagement of the lugs c with the rails prevents longitudinal displacement of the latter with reference to each other, while they are secured to the ties through the medium of the plate as effectively as if directly spiked thereto.

The braces D D are like ordinary fish-plates with the exception that they extend a consid- 7o erable distance beneath the rail and have their lowersidcs bent inwardly. These braces are precisely as long as the narrower portion of the locking-plate C, and the longitudinal ends of the braces abut against the inn er pro 7 5 jecting ends of the widened-out portions of the plate 0.

A spring-plate E, shaped like an inverted trough, (although it may be of any suitable shape or size so long as it is a spring-plate 8o compressible laterally and expansible vertically,) rests within the pocket formed by the base of the rail and the two braces, the fiat top of the spring-plate abutting against the base of the rail, while its free lower ends rest upon 8 5 the shoulders formed by the inturned sides of the braces.

Through braces D and plate E are drilled holes for the reception of bolts. After the braces D, plates 0 and E, and bolts F are in 0 position the tightening of the bolts will bring slightly toward each other the opposite depending sides of the braces. This will cause .the plate E to contract laterally and press upwardly with great force against the plate O and the rail-base. The bolt-holes in plate 0 are actually short slots, so as to permit an upward movement of the spring-plate with reference to the bolts.

The strain upon the rails being chiefly 3. I00 downward one, braces or fish-plates like that which I have described, which transmit an opposing resisting pressure through the medium of the spring-plates in a direction in line with the greater wearing strain, instead of merely binding the rails on their sides, as do the ordinary fish plates, will not only more effectually maintain the joint between the rails, but will prolong the life of the rails and prevent their breakage near the joint by relieving them of the pounding and hammering action to which they are subjected and by obviating the serious weakness which arises from drilling bolt-holes in the rails. The bolts, on the other hand, will not loosen by reason of stretching, which occurs in the standard rail-joint, in consequence of the enormous strain thrown upon them, as any tendency in that direction will be counteracted by the lateral pressure of the spring-plate against the braces and nuts. In short, the strain upon the rails will be distribu ed throughout a larger mass of material than in the standard-rail-joint, and provision is made for vertical as well as lateral compression.

Figs. 0, 7, and 8 illustrate a modified form of my invention, which, although not as desir-able a construction from a mechanical standpoint as that which I have just described, is much to be preferred from a practical and economical standpoint under many conditions. here a road is already equipped with standard joints, especially those roads which break joints between ties, the type of my invention which I am about to describe may be fitted to the usual fish-plates without removing or disturbing them at all. Indeed, this modification is solely designed as a reinforcement for the standard joint, although it may be used as a substitute therefor.

A A are the rails, B 5 the ties, and C O the fish-plates.

D D are braces which overlap the horizon tal base of the fish-plate and extend clownwardly and inwardly like braces D D in the preferred construction.

E is the spring-plate, and 1 the bolts. The method of fastening the braces and spring-plate in position and their function in actual use are the same as have been described in detail in reference to the first-11 amed type of my invention.

The wearing strain is distributed between the fish-plate and the reinforcing-braces, and the bolts F, connecting the braces, bear a large proportion of the strain,which would be borne solely by the bolts G, connecting the fish-plates to the rail. The braces, springplate, and the bolts loosely fitted thereto may be handled as one piece and slipped into position from beneath the rail an d the bolts tightened in a very short time.

I do not limit myself to either of the two embodiments of my invention that I have described, as it is obvious that changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having 110w fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In arail-j oint, the combination of braces adapted to extend below the base of the rail, of a spring-plate adapted to lie between said braces and beneath the rail and press against the base thereof, said spring plate being adapted to be compressed laterally and expanded vertically by the tightening of the braces, and means for locking together and tightening said braces, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination of braces adapted to bear against the head of the rail, the web and the top of the base and to extend beneath the base and bent inwardly, of a sprin g-plate adapted to be held in position by the depending and inturned sides of the braces and press against the base of the rail, said spring-plate being adapted to be compressed laterally and expanded vertically by the tightening of the braces, and means for locking together and tightening them, substantially as described.

3. In arail-joint, the combination of braces adapted to extend below the base of the rail, of a spring-plate adapted to lie between said braces and beneath the rail and press against the base thereof, means for locking and tightenin g said braces and a locking-plate adapted to lie between the base of the rail and said spring-plate and engage the rail.

4. In a j oint-rail, the combination of braces adapted to extend below the base of the rail, of a compressible and expansible device adapted to lie between said braces and beneath the rail and press against the base thereof, means for locking and tightening said braces and a locking-plate adapted to lie between the base of the rail and said device and engage the rail,said plate having widenedout ends abut-ting against the ends of the braces and adapted to be secured to the ties.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY VELLENOWEIII.

'itnesses:

FRANK S. Bussnn, CAROL II. DESHONG. 

